Page 86 of Nothing to Lose: Lost Trilogy: Part 1
“Stranger things have happened, Lucas.”
He calls me by my given name, and I freeze. That name is a mental block in my head. It always has been. This is Devereaux’s way to remind me that he knows all about me.
“So what do you want me to do? Babysit her?” I am getting angry now.
“Just hang out as you have been. Keep that fucker away.” Hearing bad language coming out of Devereaux mouth is hilarious, and in such complete contradiction with his usual demeanor.
“What’s in it for me?” The words escape, but I want to take them back. They feel like a betrayal to the true feelings I have toward Emily.
“You take good care of my daughter,” Devereaux leans back and rests his forearms on his chair, “and I will make sure to kill all the monsters in your nightmares.”
I just stare at him, unable to even blink, let alone speak or move in general.
“Specifically, one monster in particular,” he continues.
“Uncle Kenny,” I mumble under my breath, but he can hear me.
“What do you say, Lucas? Are you in? Or are you out?”
26
Emily
Pucksurprising me and showing up out of nowhere made my heart so happy. I felt like I was dreaming.
The conversation we had after we had sex on my couch is what brought me down from the clouds.
Puck watched me so intensely when he asked me if him being a criminal was a problem. Guilt ate at me on the inside because, under normal circumstances, I would’ve said yes. The only reason I said no was because this was him we were talking about.
My head is such a mess over this man. It has been a mess for the past six months. And the fact that we only got to see each other twice during that time only seemed to make my feelings toward him stronger. With the exception of these last few weeks, we talked on the phone so much, I never in my life felt closer to another human being.
That is why I don’t feel it is fair of him to remind me of his criminal past. I don’t want to know anything. I want to pretend he is just a regular guy I fell in love with.
“Emily.”
Someone calling my name in the parking lot at work stops me in my tracks. I recognize Steve’s voice, so I don’t stop. I haven’t heard from him again since a week ago when he ambushed me in the parking lot at the grocery store. On the day Puck came home.
“Emily, stop.”
I hear him breaking into a light jog to catch up with me, but it only spurs me on to walk faster.
When I finally make it to the car, I throw my bag in and rush to get in, but he catches the door just as I am about to pull it shut. Damn it, I was so close to getting away from him.
“I’ve been waiting for you to come to your senses and call me, Emily.” Steve, in his patronizing tone, tells me. He sounds so damn confident when he says it, it throws me off.
“Why would I do that?” That’s my first mistake. I should know better and not engage. My father taught me better.
“Well,” he sighs as if what he has to tell me pains him. “I thought you’d come to your senses and realize that we are meant to be…”
“What?” I bust out laughing. “We broke up a little over six months ago, Steve. Shouldn’t you have moved on with your life by now?”
“The fact that you kept track of our time apart is a good sign,” he smirks at me. If the wordcondescendinghad a face, it would be Steve’s right in this moment.
“You are being ridiculous, and I’m leaving.” I grab the handle of the door, so I can close it and get the hell out of this very uncomfortable situation.
“Ah, I thought you might say that. So I came prepared.”
“Prepared with what?” I snort. I am half amused and half scared that I can’t shake this man off no matter what I do. I never imagined that I might have to go to my father and ask for his help with scaring a former boyfriend off, but I am definitely contemplating it now.
